Biochemistry 4th Edition by Christopher Mathews,Kensal van Holde, Dean Appling, Spencer Anthony Cahill

Exercise 2

Given what you know about the involvement of nicotinamide nucleotides in oxidative and reductive metabolic reactions, predict whether the following intracellular concentration ratios should be (1) unity, (2) greater than unity, or (3) less than unity. Explain your answers.
(a)[NAD + ]/[NADH]
(b)[NADP + ]/[NADPH]
Because NAD + and NADP + are essentially equivalent in their tendency to attract electrons, discuss how the two concentration ratios might be maintained inside cells at greatly differing values.